Meeting colors

OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Madison City Council Regular Meeting - April 27, 2026

City Council — Monday, April 27, 2026

BodyMadison, Alabama

SessionCity Council

DateMonday, April 27, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

⇩ GET FROM SOURCE

STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE

Transcript — Verbatim

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Unassigned speaker

2:48

Yes.

Speaker 1

3:05

Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the April twenty-seventh Madison City Council meeting.

3:11

At this time, I would like to ask Pastor Troy Godwin of Madison Bible Church to please come forward and lead us in the invitation, and afterwards, we will say the Pledge of Allegiance.

4:00

Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Speaker 2

4:47

Move to approve.

Speaker 1

4:48

Second.

4:49

I have a motion for Mr.

4:50

Jackson and a second from Mrs.

4:52

White.

4:52

Any comments or questions?

4:54

Seeing none may I have the vote, please.

Speaker 3

4:56

Councilmember Jackson.

Speaker 2

4:58

Aye.

Speaker 3

4:58

Council Member White.

4:59

Aye.

5:00

Council President Robleski.

5:01

Aye.

5:02

Council Member Bear.

5:03

Aye.

5:03

Council Member Goodson.

5:04

Aye.

5:05

Council Member McKay.

5:06

Aye.

5:06

Council Member Lesman.

5:08

Aye.

5:08

Thank you.

Speaker 1

5:09

The minutes are accepted as written.

5:10

We do have three presentations this evening, and we will begin with a presentation by Mayor Bartlett to Mr.

5:16

Kevin Huckabee.

5:17

Dr.

5:18

Cook was not able to be here, but this was with regard to the Legacy of Hope organization in honor of Donate Life Month.

5:26

Thank you, Mr.

5:27

Huckabee, for being

Unassigned speaker

5:28

here.

Speaker 4

5:35

And hear a few words.

5:42

Whereas by becoming an organ eye and tissue donor, one individual can save and heal the lives of more than 75 people.

5:50

And whereas during National Donate Life Month, we honor the compassion and generosity of registered donors, donor families, and living donors, and recognize the commitment of medical professionals, researchers, innovators, champions, and national partners who work tirelessly to save and heal lives through donation and transplantation.

6:12

And whereas more than 100,000 Americans and 1,200 Alabamians are currently on the national transplant waiting list.

6:21

I, Renee Bartlett, Mayor of the City of Madison, Alabama, do hereby proclaim the month of April 2026 as Donate Life Month.

Unassigned speaker

6:37

Speaker 5

6:38

first off, thank you, Mayor.

6:39

Thank you, Council, for having me here.

6:40

It's an honor to be here to speak to you.

6:42

I'll make this brief.

6:43

I know there's a lot going on.

6:45

One reason I do this is not only to bring awareness to organ donation, but to tell you that just over six years ago, I'm here today because of an organ donor.

6:53

Um I actually had to have a double lung transplant.

6:56

I was given three months to live, and I had someone out of Gassen, Alabama that was signed up to be an organ donor that tragically fell and suffered a brain bleed.

7:05

And I was in Nashville and I got that call, and I spent two weeks in the hospital after transplant, and my life has been absolutely wonderful.

7:14

So I know it's not something we talk about around the dinner table, but please, if if you have not set up by an organ owner, I encourage you to do so.

7:21

Thank

Unassigned speaker

7:22

you.

Speaker 1

7:23

Thank you, Mr.

7:24

Huckabee.

Unassigned speaker

7:25

Thank

Speaker 1

7:26

you, Mr.

7:26

Huckabee.

7:27

At this time, we would like to have the presentation of the proclamation by Mayor Bartlett designating May 3rd to 9th as National Small Business Week in the City of Madison to Michelle Epling, President of the Madison Chamber of Commerce.

Unassigned speaker

7:40

Good

Speaker 1

7:40

evening, Miss Eppling.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Miscellaneous█████████████████████████████████████████████66%

Procedural███████10%

Community Engagement████6%

Short Term Rentals Regulation███5%

Economic Development███4%

Pending Litigation██3%

Public Safety█2%

Personnel Matters█2%

Budget Equity Analysis█1%

Summary of Proceedings

City of Madison, Alabama Regular Council Meeting - April 27, 2026

The Madison City Council convened for its regular meeting on Monday, April 27, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers. The meeting included proclamations, public comments, a consent agenda, a public hearing, departmental reports, a board of education appointment, an update on short-term rental regulations, and an executive session regarding a personnel matter.

Consent Calendar

The Council unanimously approved the consent agenda, which included:

Approval of the minutes from the April 13, 2026 meeting.
Assignment of the Right-of-Way Mowing contract to Yardnique, Inc. (Res. 2026-156-R).
Two donations: $2,000 from GRAMI for police CIT training, and $22,442.50 from the Madison Baseball Association for Palmer Park infield renovation.
A grant of $19,400 from Madison Visionary Partners-Meta for downtown Wi-Fi installation.

Public Comments & Testimony

Monroe Darrell (West Dublin Apts): Voiced concerns regarding issues at his apartment complex managed by Volunteers of America. He stated that 24 residents had formed a committee to seek change.
Axel Hein (Skyline Acres): Expressed strong opposition to the lack of regulation on short-term rentals (B&Bs) in residential neighborhoods. He described a party at a rental that caused noise and smoke until 2:00 AM and argued the city is losing tax revenue and needs enforceable rules. He noted his street spans Madison, Huntsville, and Madison County jurisdictions, causing emergency service confusion.

Presentations and Council Reports

Proclamations: Mayor Bartlett proclaimed April 2026 as Donate Life Month (accepted by Kevin Huckabee, a double lung transplant recipient) and May 3-9, 2026 as National Small Business Week (accepted by Michelle Epling of the Chamber of Commerce). The proclamation noted that in the North Alabama area, 93.2% of establishments with fewer than 500 employees have fewer than 50 employees, collectively employing 9,285 residents.
Police Promotion: Chief Gandhi promoted Brad Meissner to Sergeant, citing 17 years of law enforcement experience.
Board of Education Appointment: Teresa "Tess" Hallbrooks was unanimously appointed to Place 3 of the Madison City Board of Education for a five-year term.
Mayor and Council Reports: Mayor Bartlett reported on the Space Symposium and DC trip. Councilmembers announced upcoming events including Math on Main, Taste of Main, Ask Your City (May 8), and the State of the City address (May 11). Councilmember White noted her office hours on May 7.

Public Hearings

Southern Catfish and Creole Cuisine: A public hearing was held for a Restaurant Retail Liquor License (Res. 2026-157-R) for their location at 234 Lime Quarry Road. No public comments were received, and the item was approved unanimously.

Discussion Items and Department Reports

Engineering: Resolution 2026-164-R, authorizing property acquisitions for the Royal Drive Extension Project, was approved.
Human Resources:
- Ordinance 2026-151 (2nd Reading): Amended personnel policies to limit temporary staffing agency employees to 12 months, extendable only with mayoral approval. Approved.
- Resolution 2026-153-R: Awarded a temporary staffing services contract to Cynova Strategies at a 22.25% markup, approximately 10% lower than the current rate. Approved.
- Resolution 2026-159-R: Authorized a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Department of War for the SkillBridge Program, allowing transitioning military veterans to work in city departments for six months while the DOW pays their salary and benefits. Chief Gandhi spoke in favor, citing the discipline and life skills veterans bring. Approved.
Legal: Ordinance 2026-165 (1st Reading) was introduced, allowing Madison Utilities to grant an ingress/egress easement to a landlocked property owner. It will return for a second reading in May.
Planning:
- Ordinance 2026-139 (2nd Reading): An easement vacation at 137 Alderwood Drive was approved.
- Ordinance 2026-162 (1st Reading): An easement vacation at 109 Hanson Place was introduced for a future vote.
Recreation: Resolution 2026-160-R, authorizing a professional services agreement with Merrimack Academy for the Performing Arts for adaptive fitness instruction at no charge to the city, was approved.
Short-Term Rental Update: Councilmember David Beer provided an update. Councilmember Erica White recused herself from the topic. Beer stated the city is working on a revised ordinance to regulate short-term rentals, addressing location restrictions, a total permit cap, and enforcement mechanisms (such as duration limits and party prohibitions) to gain legal precedence and address neighborhood concerns. The public was encouraged to email the mayor's office or legal staff with feedback.

Key Outcomes

Unanimous Votes: All resolutions and ordinances brought to a vote during the open session passed 7-0.
Executive Session and Personnel Action: The Council entered executive session for a personnel hearing. Upon reconvening at 8:48 PM, the Council voted unanimously (7-0) to affirm the Mayor's and department heads' decision to terminate the city employee who was the subject of the hearing. Council President Maura Wroblewski stated the decision was based on "serious errors in judgment" during a police chase that endangered the employee and innocent bystanders, adding that "the trust cannot be redeemed."
Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned following the executive session.

Meeting Transcript

Yes. Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the April twenty-seventh Madison City Council meeting. At this time, I would like to ask Pastor Troy Godwin of Madison Bible Church to please come forward and lead us in the invitation, and afterwards, we will say the Pledge of Allegiance. Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. Move to approve. Second. I have a motion for Mr. Jackson and a second from Mrs. White. Any comments or questions? Seeing none may I have the vote, please. Councilmember Jackson. Aye. Council Member White. Aye. Council President Robleski. Aye. Council Member Bear. Aye. Council Member Goodson. Aye. Council Member McKay. Aye. Council Member Lesman. Aye. Thank you. The minutes are accepted as written. We do have three presentations this evening, and we will begin with a presentation by Mayor Bartlett to Mr. Kevin Huckabee. Dr. Cook was not able to be here, but this was with regard to the Legacy of Hope organization in honor of Donate Life Month. Thank you, Mr. Huckabee, for being here. And hear a few words. Whereas by becoming an organ eye and tissue donor, one individual can save and heal the lives of more than 75 people. And whereas during National Donate Life Month, we honor the compassion and generosity of registered donors, donor families, and living donors, and recognize the commitment of medical professionals, researchers, innovators, champions, and national partners who work tirelessly to save and heal lives through donation and transplantation. And whereas more than 100,000 Americans and 1,200 Alabamians are currently on the national transplant waiting list. I, Renee Bartlett, Mayor of the City of Madison, Alabama, do hereby proclaim the month of April 2026 as Donate Life Month. So first off, thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Council, for having me here. It's an honor to be here to speak to you. I'll make this brief. I know there's a lot going on. One reason I do this is not only to bring awareness to organ donation, but to tell you that just over six years ago, I'm here today because of an organ donor. Um I actually had to have a double lung transplant. I was given three months to live, and I had someone out of Gassen, Alabama that was signed up to be an organ donor that tragically fell and suffered a brain bleed. And I was in Nashville and I got that call, and I spent two weeks in the hospital after transplant, and my life has been absolutely wonderful. So I know it's not something we talk about around the dinner table, but please, if if you have not set up by an organ owner, I encourage you to do so.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI

TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com

City of Madison, Alabama Regular Council Meeting - April 27, 2026

Consent Calendar

The Council unanimously approved the consent agenda, which included:

Approval of the minutes from the April 13, 2026 meeting.

Assignment of the Right-of-Way Mowing contract to Yardnique, Inc. (Res. 2026-156-R).

Two donations: $2,000 from GRAMI for police CIT training, and $22,442.50 from the Madison Baseball Association for Palmer Park infield renovation.

A grant of $19,400 from Madison Visionary Partners-Meta for downtown Wi-Fi installation.

Public Comments & Testimony

Monroe Darrell (West Dublin Apts): Voiced concerns regarding issues at his apartment complex managed by Volunteers of America. He stated that 24 residents had formed a committee to seek change.

Axel Hein (Skyline Acres): Expressed strong opposition to the lack of regulation on short-term rentals (B&Bs) in residential neighborhoods. He described a party at a rental that caused noise and smoke until 2:00 AM and argued the city is losing tax revenue and needs enforceable rules. He noted his street spans Madison, Huntsville, and Madison County jurisdictions, causing emergency service confusion.

Presentations and Council Reports

Proclamations: Mayor Bartlett proclaimed April 2026 as Donate Life Month (accepted by Kevin Huckabee, a double lung transplant recipient) and May 3-9, 2026 as National Small Business Week (accepted by Michelle Epling of the Chamber of Commerce). The proclamation noted that in the North Alabama area, 93.2% of establishments with fewer than 500 employees have fewer than 50 employees, collectively employing 9,285 residents.

Police Promotion: Chief Gandhi promoted Brad Meissner to Sergeant, citing 17 years of law enforcement experience.

Board of Education Appointment: Teresa "Tess" Hallbrooks was unanimously appointed to Place 3 of the Madison City Board of Education for a five-year term.

Mayor and Council Reports: Mayor Bartlett reported on the Space Symposium and DC trip. Councilmembers announced upcoming events including Math on Main, Taste of Main, Ask Your City (May 8), and the State of the City address (May 11). Councilmember White noted her office hours on May 7.

Public Hearings

Southern Catfish and Creole Cuisine: A public hearing was held for a Restaurant Retail Liquor License (Res. 2026-157-R) for their location at 234 Lime Quarry Road. No public comments were received, and the item was approved unanimously.

Discussion Items and Department Reports

Engineering: Resolution 2026-164-R, authorizing property acquisitions for the Royal Drive Extension Project, was approved.

Human Resources:

Ordinance 2026-151 (2nd Reading): Amended personnel policies to limit temporary staffing agency employees to 12 months, extendable only with mayoral approval. Approved.
Resolution 2026-153-R: Awarded a temporary staffing services contract to Cynova Strategies at a 22.25% markup, approximately 10% lower than the current rate. Approved.
Resolution 2026-159-R: Authorized a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Department of War for the SkillBridge Program, allowing transitioning military veterans to work in city departments for six months while the DOW pays their salary and benefits. Chief Gandhi spoke in favor, citing the discipline and life skills veterans bring. Approved.

Legal: Ordinance 2026-165 (1st Reading) was introduced, allowing Madison Utilities to grant an ingress/egress easement to a landlocked property owner. It will return for a second reading in May.

Planning:

Ordinance 2026-139 (2nd Reading): An easement vacation at 137 Alderwood Drive was approved.
Ordinance 2026-162 (1st Reading): An easement vacation at 109 Hanson Place was introduced for a future vote.

Recreation: Resolution 2026-160-R, authorizing a professional services agreement with Merrimack Academy for the Performing Arts for adaptive fitness instruction at no charge to the city, was approved.

Short-Term Rental Update: Councilmember David Beer provided an update. Councilmember Erica White recused herself from the topic. Beer stated the city is working on a revised ordinance to regulate short-term rentals, addressing location restrictions, a total permit cap, and enforcement mechanisms (such as duration limits and party prohibitions) to gain legal precedence and address neighborhood concerns. The public was encouraged to email the mayor's office or legal staff with feedback.

Key Outcomes

Unanimous Votes: All resolutions and ordinances brought to a vote during the open session passed 7-0.

Executive Session and Personnel Action: The Council entered executive session for a personnel hearing. Upon reconvening at 8:48 PM, the Council voted unanimously (7-0) to affirm the Mayor's and department heads' decision to terminate the city employee who was the subject of the hearing. Council President Maura Wroblewski stated the decision was based on "serious errors in judgment" during a police chase that endangered the employee and innocent bystanders, adding that "the trust cannot be redeemed."

Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned following the executive session.

Meeting Transcript